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Easy Beef Bowls

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These easy beef bowls are a quick and delicious Asian-inspired recipe that makes the perfect weeknight dinner. Ready in about 30 minutes!

closeup of Asian beef bowls

These beef and rice bowls are Korean-inspired, but I do use hoisin sauce which is technically Chinese. There's many similar recipes floating around on Pinterest these days, and I can't believe I didn't put my own twist on this recipe sooner. That beef is just so good. Most of the recipes I've seen just use brown sugar and soy sauce, but I love the taste of hoisin sauce. It provides a depth of flavor that makes this dish taste extra special. 

This meal has quickly become one of my favorite quick dinners. I don't always have time to re-make stuff that I post on the blog since I'm always coming up with new recipes, but this one will definitely be on repeat. 

Just a note on serving these ground beef bowls - you don't need to top 'em with sesame seeds like I did. Turns out that ground beef is not the prettiest thing to photograph, so I was desperately raiding my pantry trying to figure out how the heck to make the bowls look more appealing in the photos. The photos you see are my third attempt at photographing this dish. 😛 

two ground beef bowls served with rice

What kind of beef to use?

I prefer using extra lean (at least 96% lean) ground beef for this recipe because then you don't have to worry about draining the fat. It's also an easy way to manage calories with less effort. 

What is hoisin sauce?

According to Google, hoisin sauce is "a sweet, spicy, dark red sauce made from soybeans, vinegar, sugar, garlic, and various spices that's widely used in southern Chinese cooking". I always keep hoisin sauce in my fridge. If you've never bought it before, it's quite readily available. You can find it in the Asian section of most major grocery stores. 

How to make ground beef and rice bowls

  1. In a skillet, brown the beef until it's cooked through.
  2. Stir in the sauce ingredients.
  3. Add the chopped red pepper and cook it for a few more minutes until it's tender-crisp. 
  4. Serve over rice and with the optional garnish. Easy! (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below).

A few recipe tips:

  • You don't need to go out and buy sriracha sauce just for this recipe if you never use it, but I do like the flavor it adds. I didn't add a lot since I'm not great with spice myself, but you can always add more if you want to give this recipe more heat.
  • I added a red pepper for color and a bit of freshness. If you don't like red pepper, you could leave it out - it won't break anything. 
  • To easily grate fresh ginger, store it in the freezer! This way I never run out of fresh ginger, and it is much easier to grate. 
  • You don't have to serve this dish with rice. Try cauliflower rice, quinoa, noodles, or serve it with other veggies. Or just eat it with a spoon straight out of the pan like I maaaay have done when I first made it. 
  • This is the type of recipe where you can definitely adjust the sauce ingredients to taste, so don't be shy!
  • This recipe can be ready in about 15-20 minutes if you use Instant Rice.

Other ground beef recipes you may like:

Asian beef and rice bowls

Will you give these easy Asian beef bowls a try?

Questions? Ask me in the comments below. 🙂

closeup of ground beef bowls

Easy Beef Bowls

These easy beef bowls are a quick and delicious Asian-inspired recipe that makes the perfect weeknight dinner. Ready in less than 30 minutes!
4.91 from 50 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian American
Servings 4
Calories 371 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup uncooked rice I used white jasmine rice
  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon (packed) brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • Garnish (optional): scallions, sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Cook the rice according to package directions. If you have a different amount you usually make for 4 people, just make your usual amount.
  • Meanwhile, add the beef to a skillet over medium-high heat and break it up with your spoon as you go along until it's cooked (approx. 8-10 minutes). If there's a lot of excess fat, drain it.
  • Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sauce ingredients (sugar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, ginger, and garlic).
  • Reduce the heat to medium and return the pan to the heat. Add the red pepper pieces. Cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, until the peppers are tender-crisp.
  • Serve the beef over the rice and garnish as desired.

Notes

  • To easily grate fresh ginger, freeze a whole piece. It grates much easier and you'll always have some on-hand. This is the handy tool I use to grate/zest it.
  • If you don't have sriracha sauce, you can leave it out. If you love sriracha, don't hesitate to add more than 1 teaspoon!
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 29gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 801mgPotassium: 488mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Asian beef bowls, ground beef bowls, Korean beef bowls
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Raija says

    5 stars
    This recipe is so good and so easy! The sauce gives the meat amazing flavor, but I would recommend making some extra sauce to add on top of it to get more into the rice. I am not a big Asian food fan and I loved this dish!

    Reply

  2. Scott Eisenbraun says

    5 stars
    Wife and I made. Sliced a serano chili and stir fried for more heat. We added sesame oil at end. Delicious. Will make often. Quick and satisfying.

    Reply

  4. Beverly says

    5 stars
    Trying to use “pantry” items for my recipes. I was going to substitute roasted red peppers for the regular red pepper. Think that will work. Thank you for the recipe. Will fix it tomorrow night.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! It will definitely change the flavor, but as long as you enjoy the taste of roasted red peppers, I think it should be good!

      Reply

  5. Erin says

    Ok, I love this one! I've added my own twist by including 1-2 finely diced sweet potatoes and zucchini. So filling and delicious.

    Reply

  6. Sharon says

    Could you use powdered ginger and if so, how much to substitute? I don't always have fresh on hand, although I love the trick of freezing it!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      So, I would go very easy on powdered ginger. I find if you add too much it can really ruin a dish. I'd say 1/4 teaspoon or less to start with. Let me know if you try the freezing ginger trick - I love it! 😀

      Reply

  7. Anisha says

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was fantastic! Toddler approved by my 4 and 2 year old. I’m glad I made extra sauce as I wanted some more in my bowl. Next time I will double this and add some other veggies like carrots, broccoli or zucchini. So flavourful! No leftovers thanks for the help on a weeknight! Pro tip: make extra sauce in case you want more or for next time! It’s so good!

    Reply

  9. Jenny says

    This is a family favorite! It’s so easy and the flavors are excellent. Do yourself a favor and double it!

    Reply

  10. Maria says

    5 stars
    This looks yummy. I have a question regarding the ginger. You have to peel it prior to grating it, correct? Do you freeze it peeled already?

    Reply

    • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

      Hi Maria! We freeze it with the skin on. It protects it from getting freezer burn. You then grate the skin off the part of the ginger that you'd like to use. Takes a few seconds, then once you hit the inside, you just add that part to the recipe as needed. Enjoy!! 🙂

      Reply

  11. Taylor says

    5 stars
    This is one of our favourite recipes— it’s a weekly occurrence in our house!
    I double the sauce and sneak in more veg by adding sliced mushroom, celery and carrot.
    Thanks for posting it!

    Reply

  12. Christine says

    5 stars
    MY ONLY REGRET WAS NOT SEEING THIS RECIPE SOONER! DELICIOUS , I USED ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND IT WAS PERFECTION. THIS WILL BE A NEW REGULAR MEAL IN OUR HOUSE 🏠

    Reply

  13. Karen says

    I absolutely love this!!!! It is perfect for meal prepping! I doubled the sauce so it didn’t get dried out. Now I just have to get my kids to try it but I will definitely make this often.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I think honey should be fine. You could omit it, but it'll then make a bit less sauce and of course be a bit less sweet. Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂

      Reply

  16. Beverly Weisbaum says

    Can the beef part of this be frozen maybe divided into single serving sizes and then added to rice, etc?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! You could, but you may want to double the sauce if doing that. This dish doesn't have a ton of sauce to begin with, and I feel like by the time you thaw and re-heat, it may end up a bit dry.

      Reply

  17. Allie says

    This recipe is a favorite and often lands on our weekly rotation. When we are feeling extra fancy we put an over easy egg on top - it is delicious!

    Reply

  20. Kandace Furlong says

    5 stars
    My wife and I made this and WOW, not sure anything this easy has ever slapped that hard - this recipe is the online form of pure FIRE. I'm drooling, probably have to make it again tonight.

    Reply

  21. Brenda Woods says

    5 stars
    Quickly became a family fav. Used a teason- ish of ginger paste instead of fresh. Also added crushed red chili flakes. Added scallion in with pepper adore to garnish. So easy and delish

    Reply

  22. Suzanne says

    5 stars
    I made this minus the ginger (I hate ginger) & I sautéed the whites of the green onions with the ingredients & garnished with the greens. It was awesome. I’ve tried a few bulgoggi recipes that disappointed but this beef bowl was more what I wanted for taste & it was a hit. We’ve made it twice in a few weeks. Easy & quick after a workday when you don’t feel like cooking. I can’t wait to try more recipes-it’s hard to find good ones that actually turn out well & so I’m excited about finding your site!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so happy you like it so much!! 🙂 Thanks for your sweet comment. Let me know if you try anything else.

      Reply

  23. emily powers says

    5 stars
    This recipe was so delicious and my entire family loved it! I did add water chestnuts, shitake mushrooms and the white parts of the scallions to the beef and will probable make more sauce next time because it was sooooo good! Thanks for the recipe! This will be added as a regular to our rotation.

    Reply